Shipbuilding: The grey wall of Berne | EUROtoday

Suddenly it was there, the grey wall that towers 50 meters above the water of the Weser. It modified the panorama from at some point to the subsequent, like a dystopian novel. The Bremen-based shipbuilding firm Lürssen moored floating dock 10 at its shipyard in Berne, on the south financial institution of the Weser, in spring 2021. The colossus has been inflicting bother on the northern financial institution of the river ever since. “The dock is higher than the roof of the Weser Stadium,” says one of many residents within the Rönnebeck district, who didn’t wish to be named. “It takes away the sun.”

Floating dock 10, in-built 1966, is among the largest services of its form in Europe. The dock was a logo of the port of Hamburg and particularly of the final main Hamburg shipyard, Blohm+Voss, which Lürssen took over in 2016. It was an promoting and projection space, a vacationer attraction – and a spot the place ships have been and are being repaired and renovated. In 2021, Lürssen had the dock towed to Bremen. It had already been lined over – additionally to guard superyachts from prying eyes.

The roughly 288 meter lengthy, roughly 54 meter huge floating dock was initially solely supposed to be in Berne till the superyacht “Sassi 2” was accomplished. But the big grey panorama has lengthy been a part of on a regular basis life for residents on the alternative financial institution of the Weser. And presumably for a very long time to return. In 2023, Lürssen utilized for the dock to be completely positioned in Berne. The residents throughout the road complained to the Oldenburg Administrative Court. In October, nevertheless, the court docket rejected an pressing utility from the plaintiffs. “In the expedited procedure, the court only had to examine the matter very briefly and not delve fully into the facts of the case,” says Bremen lawyer Reinhard Engel from the regulation agency Engel & Feest. “We are now moving into the main proceedings with the lawsuit, which will certainly take several years.”

The yacht “Sassi” was badly broken in a hearth in a Lürssen dock in Bremen in 2018. Lürssen then introduced the ship to Hamburg in a floating dock and rebuilt it beneath the title “Sassi 2”. To full it, Lürssen moved the “Sassi 2” once more to Bremen, in floating dock 10. It was undocked there in September 2022.

The superyacht “Dilbar”, which is attributed to the household of the Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov, is at the moment positioned in floating dock 10. After the Russian assault on Ukraine, Usmanov was positioned on an EU sanctions listing due to his proximity to President Vladimir Putin’s regime. The 156 meter lengthy “Dilbar”, constructed by Lürssen, is among the largest yachts on the planet. The firm delivered them in 2016. The proven fact that the yacht is parked in a floating dock might have one thing to do with unclear possession relationships and in addition with the query of who has to pay for the costly preservation of the ship – or with what safety that is achieved. Lürssen, in flip, by no means shares particulars of his orders and buyer relationships externally and even publicly.

“It was only in February 2024 that Lürssen received approval for floating dock 10 with the stored oligarch yacht at its current location,” says lawyer Engel. “The sanctioned yacht was subsequently completely saved in Dock 10 from September 2022 to February 2024 with out permission. From our perspective, Dock 10 was operated illegally on the Weser for over a yr with the obvious toleration of the supervisory authorities.” It is now hoped that environmental protection could also take effect, says Engel, because the dock is “within the space of ​​two FFH protected areas.” , these are fauna-flora-habitat areas protected by an EU directive: “The Lüneburg Higher Administrative Court should show Lürssen clear boundaries here at the latest.”

However, Engel also sees a chance that the dispute could come to a good end. “We assume that an amicable solution can be reached with Lürssen. Lürssen is also unlikely to have any interest in leaving Dock 10 permanently unproductive at the Berne location for the storage of a sanctioned yacht,” said the lawyer after a meeting between the plaintiffs and representatives of the shipyard. On top of that, the docking and undocking of large ships at the Berne location is “not possible due to a lack of sufficient draft. The dock would always have to be transported to the Bremen ports at great expense.”

Lürssen also seems to be interested in an agreement: “As part of confidential discussions in mid-November, the shipyard and the citizens’ initiative constructively exchanged views on the different perspectives and developed a better understanding of the respective points of view,” wrote the company WELT AM SONNTAG. “It was recognized that the challenges are understandable on both sides. This particularly concerns the fact that the stay of Dock 10 at the Berne location is tied to external factors that cannot be influenced by the shipyard and do not currently allow a planned return to Hamburg.” It was agreed “to be achieved in dialogue stay to proceed the constructive cooperation and willingness to compromise on either side – with the purpose of steering the scenario in a course that’s acceptable and sustainable for either side at a later date.

Olaf Preuß is a enterprise reporter for WELT and WELT AM SONNTAG for Hamburg and northern Germany. The maritime financial system – ports, shipyards and transport – is one among his key matters.